Pop Culture Halloween Costumes That Are Cheap and Easy to Make

Not to be total Debbie Downers, but the older you get, the less magical Halloween becomes. Sure, you get to replace candy with cocktails, but despite what Party City commercials will have you believe, coming up with a costume is not easy (or fast or cheap)! Unlike children, adults are expected to bring a certain air of sophistication to Halloween. Can you dress like a black cat? Yes. Will people think you’re lazy and uninspired? Double yes.

With that, we decided it was time to up the ante. Considering we as a society live, sleep, eat and breathe pop culture, why not channel that for your Halloween costume this year? Oh, and get this, you can pretty much just throw something together from the stuff that you already have laying around your house.

To be clear, there are a *few* exceptions … unless, er, you’re super eccentric and happen to have the supplies to recreate a cheeseburger ensemble in your humble abode, but more on that later.

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One sinfully easy pop culture costume you can consider is dressing as Ariana Grande. An oversized sweatshirt and thigh-high boots are the bedrock of the look, and once you add the pop star’s signature high ponytail, you’ve pretty much nailed the look. Another easy-to-replicate Hollywood Halloween look is rapper Frank Ocean‘s unassuming 2019 Met Gala outfit. The “Thinkin Bout You” singer donned black pants, a Prada windbreaker and a white shirt and tie during the annual fashion event, which made him look pretty nondescript — and would make this an easy costume to pull together.

It would also be pretty effortless to create a good Justin Bieber costume. No, you wouldn’t have to purchase any clothing from his Drew clothing line if you don’t want to. In fact, just find an old hoodie or T-shirt and draw the smiley face logo right on the front. Pair that with some basketball shorts, sneakers and a beanie and you’ll practically be more Justin than Justin himself. You’d be surprised how great your pop culture costume can be on the cheap!

Scroll through the gallery below to see the only pop culture-inspired Halloween costumes you’ll ever need.

Emily In Paris

If you binge-watched the Netflix series in 48 hours like we did, this costume might be for you. A red beret and a black-and-white checkered blazer is really all you need to be recognized in this Halloween ‘fit — but some long brown hair will fully seal the deal, so you might want to stretch your budget a bit and invest in a wig if needed.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

RIP. Honoring the late Supreme Court Justice and social justice pioneer has never been easier or cheaper. A long black dress or robe (your once-worn-and-never-again-looked-at graduation robes would be perfect for this) is really all you need — and, of course, a little kerchief to tuck into your collar. Oh, and don’t forget the glasses!

Carole Baskin

Emulating the divisive Tiger King star might be the simplest (and cheapest) costume you’ll ever put together. Just throw together as many cat print items together as possible — we know you have at least one leopard or cheetah print piece in your closet. Add a thick headband and you’re basically set.

Ariana Grande

Dressing like Ariana Grande will require virtually no effort and yet, everyone will know who you are. Slap on an oversized crew neck sweatshirt and a pair of thigh-high boots and you’re halfway there. Of course, you will need to achieve the singer’s iconic ponytail. Just flip your head over and use as many scrunchies as humanly possible. If you’re willing to fudge your budget a bit, you can spring for some cheap clip-in extensions.

Kourtney Kardashian

If you don’t watch KUWTK, this Kourtney Kardashian costume will require some explaining. However, if you’re a fan, you should already know where we’re going with this. Basically, Kourtney gave herself a mean bald spot after rocking this hairstyle to the amfAR gala. So, what you’ll need to replicate the look is a basic black dress and then instead of doing the high ponytail, comb your hair to give yourself a bald spot on top … and voila! You’re Bald Kourtney.

Princess Charlotte and Prince George

Honestly, we don’t recommend this as a couples costume because it would be *beyond* creepy. If anything, just pick which royal kiddo you like best — Princess Charlotte or Prince George and run with it. You’ll ultimately just need a navy blue sweater with red trim — ahem, if you don’t have one with red trim, that’s what felt is for.

Taylor Swift

You’re going to need a paper shredder and tie-dye kit to execute this Taylor Swift look … just kidding, sort of! If you’re able to cut up a long-sleeved white T-shirt and tie-dye it, pair it with some hot pants and platforms sneakers, you will embody Miss Swift like the boss you are this Halloween. You can also just grab a guitar and cry on it. That will work too.